Rain & Floods Hit Beijing - New Childcare Subsidy Programme - Wang's 3-point Agenda for South Korea Ties
Here are the key reports and articles that I found noteworthy from the People’s Daily’s edition on Tuesday, July 29, 2025.
Page 1: The main report on the page is about Xi Jinping and Li Qiang issuing instructions on flood relief work. The report says:
Xi Jinping said that in recent days, the regions of East China, North China, and Northeast China have continuously encountered heavy rainfall, triggering floods and geological disasters, resulting in major casualties and property losses in places such as Beijing, Hebei, Jilin, and Shandong. We must do a solid job in flood prevention, emergency rescue, and disaster relief, make every effort to search and rescue missing and trapped people, and decisively relocate and resettle those threatened, to minimize casualties. 习近平指出，近日华东、华北、东北等地持续遭遇强降雨，引发洪涝和地质灾害，造成北京、河北、吉林、山东等地重大人员伤亡和财产损失。要扎实做好防汛抢险救灾各项工作，全力搜救失联被困人员，果断转移安置受威胁群众，最大限度减少人员伤亡.
Xi Jinping emphasised that we are currently in the critical flood prevention period, all regions and relevant departments must firmly establish bottom-line thinking and extreme-case thinking, comprehensively implement political responsibility, implement and refine all flood prevention measures, keep close watch and firmly guard weak links and key positions, scientifically deploy rescue forces and disaster relief supplies, ensure immediate response and handling of emergencies, and fully protect people's lives and property. 习近平强调，当前正处在“七下八上”防汛关键期，各地区和有关部门要树牢底线思维、极限思维，全面压实政治责任，落实落细各项防汛措施，盯紧守牢薄弱环节和重点部位，科学调配救援力量和救灾物资，确保发生突发紧急情况后第一时间响应、第一时间处置，全力保障人民生命财产安全.
Li Qiang, meanwhile, talked about the “heavy casualties” in the Miyun District in Beijing. He called to “make every effort to search and rescue missing people, properly resettle the affected people, and do the utmost to minimise casualties”. Although the PD report does not mention a number, other media outlets have said that at least 30 people have died in Beijing.
The other top report on the page is another extremely long feature detailing the Origin and Practice of Xi Jinping Thought on Culture in Zhejiang. The first part of this was published yesterday. This is too long to summarise in a meaningful way.
Next on the page is the full Implementation Plan for the Childcare Subsidy Programme. The plan says:
Starting from January 1, 2025, subsidies shall be issued for infants and young children under 3 years old who are born in accordance with laws and regulations, until they reach the age of 3.
Childcare subsidies are paid annually. At the current stage, the national basic standard is 3,600 yuan per child per year. For infants and young children born before January 1, 2025, and under the age of three, subsidies will be calculated based on the number of months they are eligible for subsidies. Childcare subsidies paid in accordance with the childcare subsidy programme are exempt from personal income tax. When determining eligibility for assistance targets such as minimum subsistence allowance recipients and extremely poor individuals, the childcare subsidy shall not be counted as part of household or individual income.
（一）补贴对象。从2025年1月1日起，对符合法律法规规定生育的3周岁以下婴幼儿发放补贴，至其年满3周岁。（二）补贴标准。育儿补贴按年发放，现阶段国家基础标准为每孩每年3600元。其中，对2025年1月1日之前出生、不满3周岁的婴幼儿，按应补贴月数折算计发补贴。对按照育儿补贴制度规定发放的育儿补贴免征个人所得税。在最低生活保障对象、特困人员等救助对象认定时，育儿补贴不计入家庭或个人收入.
In terms of how the subsidy will be disbursed, the plan says:
“Starting from 2025, the central government will establish a transfer payment project under shared fiscal authority titled ‘Childcare Subsidy Assistance Funds’, and will provide subsidies, according to a set proportion, for the funds needed to issue the national basic standard child care subsidy to the eastern, central, and western regions. The portion of funds required for the local increase above the standard shall be borne by local finances themselves.” (一) 财政分担比例。中央财政自2025年起设立共同财政事权转移支付项目“育儿补贴补助资金”，对发放国家基础标准育儿补贴所需资金，按比例对东部、中部、西部地区予以补助。地方提标部分所需资金由地方财政自行承担.
As per Xinhua, the policy is expected to benefit more than 20 million families each year. The report adds:
“The country’s birth rate and total number of newborns declined for seven consecutive years before experiencing a modest rebound in 2024. Meanwhile, China’s population aged 60 and above had reached 310 million by the end of last year. In response to this dual challenge, China has steadily loosened its family planning policies over the past decade. It phased out its one-child policy by allowing married couples to have two children in 2016, and announced support for couples wishing to have a third child in 2021. The national childcare subsidy was first introduced in this year's annual government work report in March. Multiple local governments have piloted similar programs over the last few years -- some of which have offered notably generous incentives -- as part of their own efforts to address these challenges.”
Finally, there’s a report on Zhao Leji’s visit to Hungary. Xinhua says:
Zhao “held separate meetings with Hungarian President Tamas Sulyok and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and held talks with Speaker of the Hungarian National Assembly Laszlo Kover in Budapest.” Xinhua says:
When meeting Sulyok, “Zhao said China will join hands with Hungary to promote in-depth alignment between the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and Hungary's ‘Eastern Opening’ strategy, complete the construction of landmark projects such as the Hungary-Serbia Railway with high quality, and encourages and supports more exchanges between the two countries and local-level in terms of culture, media and youth to promote closer people-to-people ties…The Hungarian president said that participating in BRI is of vital importance to Hungary, and the Hungary-Serbia Railway project is a model of major project cooperation between the two sides. He also voiced hope that both sides will continuously deepen cooperation in areas such as green energy, artificial intelligence, digital economy, as well as humanities, youth and education.”
The report adds:
“When meeting with Orban, Zhao said that in recent years, China-Hungary relations have achieved leapfrog development and are at their best in history. China appreciates Hungary's adherence to the one-China principle and is willing to continue strengthening mutual support with the Hungarian side, Zhao said. Zhao said China welcomes more high-quality agricultural and food products from Hungary, and expects Hungary to provide policy support and security guarantees for Chinese enterprises in Hungary. As this year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union (EU), Zhao said China hopes and believes that Hungary will continue to play an active role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-EU relations. China will also work with Hungary to promote the cooperation between China and the Central and Eastern European Countries, Zhao said. Orban said that President Xi's state visit to Hungary last year was a milestone in the history of Hungary-China relations. He said the two countries' long-standing histories and cultures, both featuring independence and autonomy, serve as a solid foundation for their traditional friendship. He attributed China's rise to its own efforts, noting that to develop friendly cooperation with China is Hungary's strategic choice, which will help Hungary to upgrade technology and explore markets.”
Page 3: There’s a report on Wang Yi’s call with his South Korean counterpart, Cho Hyun. Wang said:
“China and South Korea are important neighbours and cooperation partners, and upholding good neighbourliness serves common interests of the two peoples. After the inauguration of the new South Korean government, the two heads of state held a phone call, bringing fresh positive dynamics to bilateral ties and charting the course for joint future work.”
“Wang Yi stressed that China and South Korea should be true strategic partners and elevate bilateral relations to a higher level.” He then made three points:
First, policy stability must be maintained. China has always attached importance to developing China-South Korea cooperation and has maintained a consistent and stable policy toward South Korea. China hopes that South Korea’s policy toward China will also be stable, sustainable, and predictable, avoiding vacillation.
Second, independence and self-reliance must be upheld. China-South Korea relations are based on the common interests of both sides and benefit the people of both countries. They are not directed against any third party, nor should they be subject to any third party’s control.
Third, mutual benefit must be enhanced. China and South Korea have close economic ties, and their production and supply chains are highly intertwined. The two sides should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation and achieve common development. As beneficiaries of multilateralism and free trade, China and South Korea should jointly oppose decoupling and maintain the stability and smooth operation of the global production and supply chain.
China supports South Korea in hosting the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting in the second half of this year.” 王毅强调，中韩要做名副其实的战略合作伙伴，推动两国关系向更高水平迈进。首先要保持政策稳定性，中方始终重视发展中韩合作，对韩政策保持连续稳定，希望韩方对华政策同样做到稳定、可持续、可预期，避免摇摆。二是要坚持独立自主，中韩关系基于双方共同利益，利好两国人民，不针对任何第三方，也不应受制于任何第三方。三是要增强互惠互利，中韩经济联系密切，产供链高度互嵌，双方要深化互利合作，实现共同发展。作为多边主义和自由贸易的受益者，中韩要共同反对“脱钩断链”，维护全球产供链稳定畅通。中方支持韩方今年下半年主办亚太经合组织领导人非正式会议.
Also on the page, there’s a one-line report on the talks about the start of the US-China talks in Sweden. Ahead of the talks, FT reported:
“The US has frozen restrictions on technology exports to China to avoid hurting trade talks with Beijing and help President Donald Trump secure a meeting with President Xi Jinping this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The commerce department’s Bureau of Industry and Security, which runs export controls, has been told in recent months to avoid tough moves on China, according to eight people, including current and former US officials. US and Chinese officials will meet in Stockholm on Monday for a third round of trade talks following previous meetings in Geneva and London. While Trump wants to avoid actions that could hurt efforts to meet Xi, some officials have argued that the US is hamstrung on export controls because of the risk that China retaliates by restricting the export to the US of critical rare earths and magnets, as it did in May for the first time.”
Another FT report informs that:
“Donald Trump’s administration has denied permission for Taiwan’s President Lai Ching-te to stop in New York en route to Central America, after China raised objections with Washington about the visit.Lai planned to transit the US in August en route to Paraguay, Guatemala and Belize, which recognise Taiwan as a country. But the US told Lai he could not visit New York on the way, according to three people familiar with the decision.On Monday in Taipei, Lai’s office issued a statement saying he had no plans to travel overseas in the near future because Taiwan was recovering from a recent typhoon and Taipei was in talks with the US about tariffs.The people familiar with the matter said his decision not to travel came after he had been told he would not be allowed to visit New York.”
Page 4: There’s a report informing that in June this year, 27,977 violations of the 8-point regulations were investigated and punished nationwide. A total of 37,217 individuals (including one provincial and ministerial-level official and 112 prefectural and departmental-level officials) were criticised, educated, and punished, and 25,871 individuals were given Party disciplinary and administrative sanctions.
Among the total cases, 14,106 cases of formalism and bureaucracy were investigated and dealt with nationwide; and 13,871 cases of hedonism and extravagance were investigated and dealt with nationwide.
Page 16: The paper today also covers the opening of direct flights from Moscow to Pyongyang.